Climate Change and Inequalities in Political Entry: Evidence from Brazil
With António Valentim.
Overview
The repercussions of climate change, along with the associated events, often exacerbate existing political, economic, and social inequalities.
This study delves into the influence of extreme weather events on the decision to pursue a political career in Brazil, a nation that encompasses more than half of the Amazon rainforest. While the effects of extreme weather events frequently exhibit gender disparities, the distribution of relief packages may heighten the prevalence of less qualified and more rent-seeking politicians. Leveraging a newly compiled dataset encompassing extreme weather events and candidate profiles in Brazil (1991-2022), we employ a difference-in-differences design to examine the impact of such events on the gender and quality of political candidates.
Subsequently, we utilize micro data on federal relief transfers, women's market integration, and survey data to explore potential mechanisms. By offering insights into the consequences of extreme weather events on candidate pools, our research contributes to our understanding of climate change politics, political inequalities, and their intersection.
My Work
Selected Research
My work has appeared in Nature, International Studies Quarterly, and other outlets.
More projects
working paper
Oil Windfalls and a Conditional Political Resource Curse: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Brazil
Do natural resource windfalls affect democratic outcomes? We argue that the effect of such revenues on democratic outcomes is conditioned by the strength of political institutions. Where institutions are weak, natural resource revenues are diverted towards clientelistic practices, which increase incumbent reelection…
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working paper
Costless Defection: How Counter-Rhetoric Neutralizes Climate Shaming
In Western democracies, foreign climate shaming has been shown to impose audience costs on noncompliant leaders. The Paris Agreement depends on peer pressure rather than sanctions to secure compliance. In Western democracies, foreign climate shaming has been shown to impose audience costs on noncompliant leaders,…
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articles
Holding Ground: The Resilience of Protected Areas under Institutional Weakening
Protected areas are a cornerstone of global conservation policy, yet those located in remote regions are often viewed as inefficient because they protect forests under little immediate threat. This view assumes static institutions and stable land-use patterns. We show instead that the conservation value of protected…
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article
Climate Change and the Shadow of the Future
Young people are expected to bear the most severe consequences of climate change and play a central role in climate activism. Yet political science has paid limited theoretical attention to age as a variable of interest in climate change opinion. This paper revisits the role of age in shaping climate attitudes and…
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If you are interested in knowing more about any of my projects or think we have similar interests, please feel free to contact me.
